A Shaolin Temple is a Chinese type of Buddhism called Chan Buddhism that was founded under the idea of rejecting other types of Buddhism and focusing primarily on ‘action meditation’. Action meditation is the practice of using any activity that one finds enjoyable–exercise, cooking, driving, etc.,–and using it to channel the Temple and achieve a meditative state. They believe that one can use any form of meditation to feel connected to the Temple. It is similar to Japanese Zen Buddhism. Few Monks were trained in this Shaolin Temple discipline. The Monks formed these Shaolin Temples throughout the world to ensure that they could teach and train people in Chan Buddhism.

Shaolin Temple’s have become increasingly popular all over the world. They are especially popular because they offer a variety of training. One can take a martial arts focused training with a Shaolin Temple, or just learn the practice of Chan Buddhism. They teach Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and Chi Kung.